Method of Making Soft Edge Textile Labels to be Applied to Garments

ABSTRACT

A method of converting an elongated web of filamentary textile material into lengths; of coherent labels for application to garments includes placing a first row of selvage on the web at a first predefined distance from a first outer edge thereof, the first predefined distance being greater than zero, placing a second row of selvage on the web at a second predefined distance from a second outer edge thereof, the second predefined distance being greater than zero, and placing at least a third row and a fourth row of selvage on the web between the first and second rows, a portion of the filamentary material separating each of the rows from the other. A following step includes cutting the web along a line lying between the third and fourth rows of selvage and at a predefined distance away from each of the third and fourth rows of selvage, the predefined distance being greater than zero.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to forming strips of coherent labels for the application to garments or the like, and more particularly relates to a method of making strips of coherent labels and decorative ribbons with non-abrasive edges.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Manufacturers place labels or “tags” on their garments to identify the source of the goods, to indicate the size of the garment, to provide care instructions, and for other reasons. The manufacturing of labels is well known and obtained, usually, with looms, for example, looms with jacquard, which are woven in ribbons of various widths, or in a continuous sequence of labels which must then be cut into the desired shape, usually rectangular. While cutting the label, the label must be appropriately finished around the edges to prevent the label from fraying These label-finishing operations therefore call for additional operations, which involve both a considerable amount of time and costs.

Published German patent application No. 21 00 835 discloses a method of making coherent panels by subdividing a web of textile material into a plurality of strips. The subdividing step involves the application of heat to meltable or fusible filaments of the web. Such filaments are often used in recent types of fabrics. In order to prevent fraying of edges of the thus-obtained strips, the severing instrumentalities include or constitute heated wires, ultrasonic cutting tools, lasers, and more, which sever the web by melting its material, the melting simultaneously creating the strips and providing the edges of the thus-obtained discrete strips with fused beads. The beads are formed in the web-making machine ahead of the strip-withdrawing unit because the withdrawing unit is apt to damage edges that are devoid of fused beads.

A drawback of the conventional method is that the making of fused beads unduly hardens and roughens the edges of the strips. In fact, certain fused beads are likely to develop a pronounced toothed profile. This is uncomfortable to the wearer of a garment having such a label, for example, at the back of the neck. The beads could damage the garments and are likely to irritate, scratch, and/or bruise the adjacent portions of the skin. All in all, the provision of fused beads along the edges of strips (which are to be subdivided into discrete labels) is not an ideal solution, not only as concerns the comfort to the wearer of such labels but also as concerns the appearance of the labels. This problem is exacerbated as the life of the garment goes on. Specifically, as the garment is worn and washed, the label will be subject to continuous bending and flexing. This movement causes the edge of the label to crack, thereby creating further abrasive edges.

Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, disclosed is a method for producing label strips, which includes the steps of placing information on an elongated web of filamentary material, e.g., threads, natural fibers, and/or synthetic fibers, having a given weave, placing at least two rows of weave creating a selvage, having a weave denser than the given weave, on the elongated web of filamentary material sandwiching the information between the at least two rows, and cutting the web along at least two lines, each of the two lines being a predefined non-zero distance away from a corresponding one of the at least two rows of selvage, the two lines sandwiching a set of the at least two rows of selvage and a portion of the filamentary material with the information separating the set of at least two rows.

In accordance with another feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the at least two cut lines are substantially parallel to the at least two rows of selvage.

In accordance with a further feature, the present invention includes applying an adhesive to the at least two rows of selvage.

In accordance with another feature, an embodiment of the present invention also includes cutting the web in a direction perpendicular to the at least two rows of selvage,

In accordance with yet another feature, an embodiment of the present invention includes passing the elongated web of filamentary textile, material across a knife blade at room temperature ±20 degrees.

In accordance with the present invention, a method for converting an elongated web of filamentary textile material into lengths of coherent, labels for application to garments, includes the steps of placing a first row of selvage on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave at a first predefined distance from a first outer edge thereof, the first predefined distance being greater than zero and the first row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave, placing a second row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave on the web at a second predefined distance from a second outer edge thereof, the second predefined distance being greater than zero, placing at least a third row and a fourth row of selvage, each having a weave denser than the given weave, on the web between the first and second rows, a portion of the filamentary material separating each of the rows from the other, and cutting the web along a line lying between the third and fourth rows of selvage and at a predefined distance away from each of the third and fourth rows of selvage, the predefined distance being greater than zero.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying FIGS., where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a woven web in the process of being subdivided into four elongated strips of coherent panels by a row of three blades in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the elongated strips of coherent panels of FIG. 1 with marginal portions extending beyond rows of selvage, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is side elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of one of the blades of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the elongated strips of coherent panels of FIG. 1 cut into lengths of labels, in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram of a method for making textile labels to be applied to garments, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the Invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention.

The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.

The present invention provides a novel and improved method of making strips of coherent labels or the like in such a way that the strips present soft and comfortable edges and do not exhibit fused beads or other rough finishes as are found in the prior art.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a freshly woven web 100 of textile material, which is a so-called broad fabric or broad-width fabric. However, it is equally within the purview of the invention to make and process other types of webs, e.g., webs constituting weaves. The illustrated fabric 100 is obtained by interlacing longitudinally extending parallel warp threads or yarns 102 and 103 with transversely extending weft threads or yarns 104 in a manner not forming part of the present invention. The weft of the web 100 includes one or more weft threads 104 which extend across the entire width of the web of fabric 100 and constitute a so-called ground weft or binding pick (also called bottom shoot or ground pick) of the web, and several shorter weft threads (not shown), which together constitute a figure weft or figuring filling (also called figuring weft, pattern weft or patterning weft). The weaving station, where the web 100 is made, is denoted by the character A. Arrow 114 indicates an exemplary direction of continuous advancement of the web 100.

The weaving station A is immediately followed by a selvage (or selvedge) station, denoted by the character B in FIG. 1. The selvage station B weaves in a threads or yarns 106 to place a relatively tighter weave 108, i.e., closer weaving than that, of the fabric web 100, along parallel lines 110 at opposing edges of each column of the fabric 100. Selvaging, in general, is well-known in the art. The present invention includes any type of selvage that adheres portions of the web 100 together so that they are bonded tighter than the selvage made by the wefting process A. In one exemplary embodiment, the selvage station B does not use thread, but instead places lines of adhesive or threads with adhesive along rows 110. The adhesive binds the longitudinally extending parallel warp threads or yarns 102 with transversely extending weft threads or yarns 104 in a manner similar to selvaging. In one embodiment, the adhesive is threads coated in a meltable adhesive can be woven into the material or used a one of the selvage threads. When heat is applied to the thread, through any heat-application process, the adhesive will melt, flow out, and adhere to adjacent threads to create a row of adhering threads. In another embodiment, a meltable thread is used. In this embodiment, the entire thread, once heat is applied, melts, flows, and adheres to adjacent threads going in either direction.

The selvage station B is immediately followed by a subdividing or severing station C where the freshly formed and selvaged fabric 100 is subdivided by cutting the fabric 100 into elongated parallel strips 112, here, four in number. The invention, however, is not limited to any particular number of strips. The location of the cuts is between the adjacent parallel rows 110 of selvages 108. In one embodiment of the present invention, the woven rows 110 on the interior portion 116 of the fabric 100 are separated by a distance that will allow a cutting tool 118 to cut through a portion 120 of the fabric 100 located between the selvaged rows 110, without contacting the selvaged rows 110 For example, in one embodiment, the selvaged rows 110 are separated by approximately ¼ of an inch. This separation is advantageous in that, once cut, provided the location of the cuts is approximately equidistant from each of the selvaged rows 110, as shown in FIG. 2, the parallel strips 112 will have marginal portions 200 of approximately ⅛ of an inch on each side thereof. However, the marginal portions 200 can be any length and do not even have to be the same length on any two sides of a strip 112.

The marginal portions 200 are of the looser weave of the fabric 100 and are, specifically, not sealed at their edges 202. The fabric 100 is prevented from “tattering,” or falling apart, by the tight weaving 108 which, as mentioned above, could alternatively be adhesive or be a combination of selvage and adhesive. The marginal portions 200 then, due to the loose weft fibers, provide the strip or area of material 112 with soft edges, which will advantageously prevent abrasion against a user's skin or other surfaces, such as other parts of the garment to which it is sewn.

Returning to FIG. 1, the web 100 is subdivided the into, in this particular example, four identical strips 112 by three severing or subdividing elements 118 that, as will be explained below, have sharp cutting blades. The edges 202 are purposely frayed by the cutting tool 118 (as opposed to the prior art systems of precise, non-frayed edges) to provide the inventive soft edge. As was explained above, other cutting methods utilize heated wires, which result in nicely and finely cut fabric 100, but also result in a sealed beaded edge that is likely to harden and develop a rather pronounced sawtooth profile, which is an undesirable trait when the strips 112 are to be subdivided into labels for application to garments and the like. The present invention advantageously avoids the use of heat when cutting the strips 112.

One exemplary device used for cutting is shown in detail in FIG. 3. The cutting device 300 includes a body 302 and a blade 300. The body 302 supports the blade 300 and allows the blade 300 to be positioned proximate to the moving web 100. In this embodiment, the blade 300 is circular and rotates along an axis 306 in a direction 210 as the fabric 100 moves past the blade in a direction 308 so that the cutting point is continuously changing and the entire blade surface is used. A piece of material 304 can be affixed to the blade 300. The material 304 makes resistive contact with the web 100 and ensures that the blade 300 will continuously rotate as the material moves past it. This feature further ensures that a cutting point of the blade 300 is continuously changing and the entire blade surface is being used.

In one embodiment, a fixedly held straight blade is used as the cutter 300. The straight blade can be advantageously designed with a symmetrical shape so that, when the blade becomes dull, it can be easily flipped to double the service life of each cutting blade, ft should be noted that, in other embodiments, the blade can be in many other shapes and styles. Another exemplary configuration includes a scissor-type set of blades that continuously move, e.g., by vibrating or scissoring, or a frame that holds the cutter moves, each of which utilize the entire blade surface.

In one embodiment, the web 100 is cut while on the loom. Cutting the web 100 on the loom makes the steps for making the labels take place in one continuous process. When multiple cutting tools are used, a plurality of label strips are efficiently produced in one step,

The blade 300 can be incrementally positioned to provide a specific sized-marginal portion 200. Advantageously, the blade 300 is a cold-cutting blade, which is blade that is at approximately room temperature and does not use heat to cut through the fabric as do other prior-art cutting tools. The elimination of heating substantially reduces the cost of each body-blade assembly, energy consumption, air contamination in the area, and the need for electrical control.

In a further process, shown in FIG. 4, the elongated strips 112 are cut at locations 400 a-n. The cutting process produces garment tags 404 of specific lengths 402 that can now be sewn into, or otherwise attached to, garments and other items. Each one of the tags 404 has a portion of the soft edge 200 on either side. In one embodiment, the present invention produces decorative ribbons where the distance 402 between the locations 400 a-n is much greater than for garment tags.

FIG. 5 is a process flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. The process begins at step 500 and moves directly to step 502 where an elongated web of filamentary textile material 100 is placed In motion toward a group of processing machines B and C. The textile material has informational on at least one side thereof. The term “information,” as used herein, is intended to include text, graphics, colors, patterns, and the like. In general, information is anything appropriate for a garment label or a decorative strip, such as garment care instructions or garment origination information, i.e., designer or labeler. Text can be a manufacturer's identification, care instructions, a garment size, or any other alphanumeric, pictogram, or other types of characters, such as Band, Kanji, Hanza, and Han Tu characters.

In step 504, the elongated web of filamentary textile material 100 reaches process A and a plurality of rows of selvage 110 are placed on to the fabric 100. Specifically, two rows of weaving are placed on the web 100 at predefined distances 204 from the outer edges 202, 206 thereof, the predefined distance being greater than zero. In addition, central rows of weaving are also placed on the interior area of the fabric 100. In step 506, the fabric 100 moves to a cutting process C where the fabric 100 is cut between the rows of selvage on the interior portion of the fabric 100. The outer edges 202, 206 do not require further cutting. Next, in step 508, the cut rows are further cut into smaller sections, as shown in FIG. 4, by placing a cut across the fabric in a direction perpendicular to the rows 110 of selvage 108. Optionally, in step 510, the cut sections can be stacked for insertion into containers for shipping. The process ends at step 512.

A garment label production method has been disclosed that advantageously eliminates rough edges on garment labels that irritate a user's skin. The method provides an inexpensive process for creating a “fuzzy” soft edge that is pleasant to the touch and offers virtually no chance of skin irritation. 

1. A method for producing label strips, the method comprising: placing information on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave; placing at least one row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave on the elongated web of filamentary material at a non-zero distance from an edge thereof; and cutting the web along a line a predefined distance away from the at least one row of selvage on a side opposite the edge.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: the line is substantially parallel to the at least one row of selvage.
 3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: applying an adhesive to the at least one row of selvage.
 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: cutting the web in a direction perpendicular to the at least one row of selvage to form strip segments.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cutting comprises: passing the elongated web of filamentary textile material across a substantially room-temperature knife blade.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information is at least one of garment-care information and garment-origination information.
 7. A method for producing label strips, the method comprising: placing information on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave; placing at least two rows of selvage, having a weave denser than the given weave, on the elongated web of filamentary material sandwiching the information between the at least two rows; and cutting the web along at least two lines, each of the two lines being a predefined non-zero distance away from a corresponding one of the at least two rows of selvage, the two lines sandwiching a set of the at least two rows of selvage and a portion of the filamentary material with the information separating the set of at least two rows.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: the at least two cut lines are substantially parallel to the at least two rows of selvage.
 9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: applying an adhesive to the at least two rows of selvage.
 10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: cutting the web in a direction perpendicular to the at least two rows of selvage to form strip segments.
 11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the cutting comprises: passing the elongated web of filamentary textile material across a substantially room-temperature knife blade.
 12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the information is at least one of garment care information and garment origination information.
 13. A method of converting an elongated web of filamentary textile material into lengths of coherent labels for application to garments, the method comprising: placing a first row of selvage on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave at a first predefined distance from a first outer edge thereof, the first predefined distance being greater than zero and the first row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave; placing a second row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave on the web at a second predefined distance from a second outer edge thereof, the second predefined distance being greater than zero; placing at least a third row and a fourth row of selvage on the web between the first and second rows, the third and fourth rows having a weave denser than the given weave,, a portion of the filamentary material separating the third and fourth rows; and cutting the web along a line lying between the third and fourth rows of selvage and at a predefined distance away from each of the third and fourth rows of selvage, the predefined distance being greater than zero.
 14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: placing information on the web prior to the cutting step.
 15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: placing a fifth row and a sixth row of selvage, each having a weave denser than the given weave, on the web between the third and fourth rows of selvage, a portion of the filamentary material separating each of the rows from the other; cutting the web along a line lying between the third and fifth rows of selvage and at a predefined distance away from each of the third and fifth rows of selvage, the predefined distance being greater than zero; and cutting the web along a line lying between the sixth and fourth rows of selvage and at a predefined distance away from each of the sixth and fourth rows of selvage, the predefined distance being greater than zero.
 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: the cutting the web along a line lying between the third and fifth rows of selvage and the cutting the web along a line lying between the sixth and fourth rows of selvage is performed substantially simultaneously with at least two blades.
 17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the cutting comprises: passing the elongated web of filamentary textile material across a substantially room-temperature knife blade.
 18. A method of converting an elongated web of filamentary textile material into lengths of coherent labels for application to garments, the method comprising: placing a first row of selvage on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave at a first predefined distance from a first outer edge thereof the first predefined distance being greater than zero and the first row having a weave denser than the given weave; placing a second row of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave on the web at a second predefined distance from a second outer edge thereof, the second predefined distance being greater than zero; placing a first pair of adjacent, selvage rows on the web between the first and second rows, the first pair of rows having a weave denser than the given weave and a non-zero portion of the filamentary material separating the first pair rows; and placing a second pair of adjacent selvage rows on the web between said first pair of rows and one of said first and second rows, each of the second pair of rows having a weave denser than the given weave and a non-zero portion of the filamentary material separating the second pair of rows; cutting the web along lines between each of the first pair of rows and the second pair of rows and at a non-zero distance from each selvage in each of the first and second pairs of rows substantially simultaneously with at least two blades.
 19. A method of forming filamentary strips, the method comprising: weaving an elongated web of filamentary textile material having longitudinal warp fibers and horizontal weft fibers; placing first, second, third, and fourth selvages along a length of the web of filamentary textile material, each of the selvages having a denser weave than the web, the second selvage adjacent the first and third selvages, and the third selvage adjacent the second and fourth selvages; and cutting the horizontal weft fibers along the length of filamentary textile material between the second and third selvages at a non-zero distance from the second and third selvages.
 20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: removing the longitudinal warp fibers from a margin between the cut horizontal fibers and the selvages.
 21. The method according to claim 19, wherein: the cutting is performed with a room-temperature cutting blade.
 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein: the cutting blade is a circular rotating blade.
 23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: placing information on the elongated web of filamentary material prior to the cutting step.
 24. A method for producing label strips, the method comprising: placing at least, two columns of information on an elongated web of filamentary material having a given weave; placing two columns of selvage having a weave denser than the given weave on the web between an adjacent pair of the at least two columns of information, the two columns of selvage defining a center area therebetween; and cutting the web in the center area between the at least two columns of selvage at a non-zero distance away from each of the two columns of selvage. 